For many years, personal color analysis has been employed to assist individuals in selecting cosmetics and makeup, such as lipstick, lip liner, blush, and the like which are worn on the face. Women use personal color analysis to select cosmetics for everyday and specialized uses. Men may also use personal color analysis for makeup worn in theatrical, stage and television appearances, for example. Personal colors for cosmetics and makeup are primarily related to the skin, hair and eye colors.
In general, the objective of personal color analysis is to identify those colors which most naturally blend with and compliment the natural coloration of the individual. The individual's personal colors, when worn in makeup and cosmetics, enhance natural beauty and attractiveness. The proper personal colors cause the individual to stand out and enhance the individual's presence and persona. Incorrect colors, which complement the individual's proper personal colors, will overpower the individual, or make her appear sallow, weakened or withdrawn, thereby detracting from her natural attractiveness.
In the past, personal colors have been characterized into four groups, each of which has been identified with a season of the year. A person with personal colors of golden undertones was considered as having "spring" or "autumn" coloration, while a person having blue undertones was regarded as having "summer" or "winter" coloration. Associating colors with each season is an oversimplification because different individuals have a wide variety of different colorations and undertones. Consequently, it can be difficult for even a practiced beauty consultant to identify the correct personal colors, and it is not unusual that mistakes are made.
The original method of personal color analysis involved subjective evaluations made by beauty consultants, possibly with the aid of color drapes and color charts. Such consultants attempted to become proficient and experienced in personal color analysis by analysis of many individuals. Typically these consultants draped a white or neutral colored cloth or smock over the shoulders of the individual to prevent the wardrobe from influencing the color of the individual's face, eyes and hair. Thereafter the consultant used swatches to aid in making the color determinations, or simply made mental evaluations. However, in the end a great deal of subjective judgment was required. Of course, this type of personal color analysis was only as effective as the skill of the consultant. Frequently, personal color analysis suffered as a result of judgments made by inexperienced consultants.
Recognizing the variability of a subjective personal color analysis by consultants, the next evolution in the field of personal color analysis was a computer color analysis system. To use the computer color analysis system, a beauty consultant attempted to match the skin, hair and eye color features of the individual with certain color chips that were recognized and coded for use in a computer color analysis program. Based on the selected color chips, the computer system developed a list of the personal colors. The difficulty with the computer color analysis system is that it also required subjective judgment in matching a relatively large number of color chips to the individual's facial skin, hair and eyes. The hair and eye colors typically include a variety of different colors, so matching the chips with the hair and eyes could be difficult and time-consuming. Furthermore, the information was processed by a computer that was not located on the premises of the beauty consultant, thereby potentially delaying the time when the results were available. This time delay could be a discouragement and hindrance. In a surprising number of situations the computer personal analysis system did not assess the individual's best personal colors, perhaps because of the subjective aspects of matching one of a relatively large number of color chips to the individual's different features.
Throughout this evolution of personal color analysis, there has been a continual need for a reliable, effective, simple-to-use, relatively-inexpensive and immediate-result oriented technique for determining personal colors, which can be used by relatively inexperienced beauty consultants who do not have the experience and skill to make effective subjective color evaluations. It is with respect to these and other background considerations, and the continuing unresolved need for such a simplified but effective personal color analysis technique, that the present invention has resulted.